uchal or utchal festival
Uchal, also known as Utchal is a summer Kailash festival. The festival is celebrated during annual harvesting with singing, dancing and paying homage to the nature for blessing them with good food and fruits. It is marked in the barley and wheat harvest season every year in August. Kailash people prepare cornbread, buttermilk and cheese to celebrate the festival. They wear their traditional black robes, ornate cowries shelled headdresses and adorned with coloured necklaces and dance in a circle. During the festival, prayers and processions are held at a high plateau outside the village in Balangkuru where the long night of dancing begins. The Uchal festival continues for several days and moving on to different locations within the valley.
Itinerary
Day | Visiting Location | Overnight |
01 | Islamabad | Arrival Islamabad in the morning, transfer to domestic departure for flight to Gilgit. Flight to Gilgit (1 hr), in case of no flight, drive to Besham the same day (7 hrs). |
02 | Karimabad Hunza/Gilgit | Drive to Karimabad Hunza (2 hours) or drive from Besham to Gilgit (9 hrs) |
03 | Karimabad Hunza | Visit Baltit Fort, Altit Fort & Duiker. |
04 | Karimabad-Gulmit-Karimabad | Visit Atta Abad Lake, Gulmit, Hussain Bridge and Passu. Drive back to Karimabad for overnight |
05 | Karimabad-Phander | Drive to Phander (7 hours), transfer to hotel for overnight stay. |
06 | Phander-Chitral | Drive to Chitral (6-7 hours) |
07 | Chitral- Bumburet Kailash | Drive to Bumburet Kailash to see Chilim Josht festival (1.5 hours) |
08 | Bumburet | Joshi or Chilim Josht festival |
09 | Swat via Lowari Tunnel | Drive to Swat (7 hours) via Lowari Tunnel |
10 | Swat | In the morning visit Buddh Kara and Swat Museum. After lunch drive to Peshawar via Takht-e-Bhai |
11 | Peshawar- Islamabad | Half day city tour of Peshawar. After lunch drive to Islamabad via Taxila |
12 | Islamabad | Full day city tour of Islamabad & Rawalpindi. |
13 | Departure | Transfer to airport for home bound flight |
Trip Highlights:
Islamabad-Besham-Gilgit-Karimabad-Phunder-Chitral-Bumburet-Swat-Peshawar
Festival Dates:
August 20-22
Duration:
12 nights/13 days (Shorter Version of the trip is available)